Connect with us

Men's Basketball

Ansley Almonor Is Coming to Kentucky With a Chip on His Shoulder, “I Belong Here, This Isn’t a Fluke”

Published

6 months ago

on

Ansley Almonor dreamed of playing for the Kentucky Wildcats as a kid. Here is how that dream has become a reality.
Photo by Eddie Justice | UK Athletics

A no-star, unranked recruit coming out of high school in 2021, Ansley Almonor recently committed to play on one of the biggest stages and for one of the most successful programs in college basketball, the University of Kentucky.

“I never could have predicted it, not in a million years,” Almonor told Kentucky Insider in an interview. “It’s crazy.”

When Almonor says crazy, he has been a part of crazy. A starter for the 16-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson team that upset 1-seeded Purdue in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, he (6-7, 219 lbs) defended National Player of the Year Zach Edey (7-4, 300 lbs).

Advertisement

What has been the crazier experience between being part of one of the biggest upsets in sports and committing to Kentucky? The latter Almonor says, already feeling the love of the Big Blue Nation. “You can feel the love from the community everywhere you go. So many people have reached out to me on social media. So many followers. Fans going to bat for me like their lives are dependent on it. It’s surreal.”

The path to Kentucky hasn’t been easy and it started in New York, where he was raised by Haitian parents. “It definitely shaped me as a player and person,” he said of growing up in The Big Apple. “Everything over there you got to earn. They don’t give you nothing. You have to go out and earn it. Every game is a fight. Everybody is tough. You have to be tough and take what you want.”

One thing he wanted as a kid was to one day play for the University of Kentucky, even having a picture of the Kentucky logo hanging on the front of his bed as a daily reminder and source of motivation. However, coming out of high school that dream looked bleak, having few options to choose from before signing with Farleigh Dickinson. “I wasn’t recruited at all. I wasn’t a big-time recruit in high school. I wanted to prove everybody wrong.”

Over the course of three seasons, he did. As a freshman, Almonor came off the bench, averaging less than ten minutes per game on a 4-win Fairleigh Dickinson team. As a sophomore, he was named NEC Most Improved Player of the Year en route to helping the Knights to their first NCAA Tournament win. As a junior, he earned All-NEC First Team honors as the team’s leading scorer and best shooter, averaging 16.4 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting .394 from 3-point range.

Advertisement

Despite those efficient numbers, Almonor didn’t have many Power schools calling when he entered the transfer portal. According to some, he even gave Sienna a verbal commitment. That quickly changed when Kentucky assistant Jason Hart, with his “Cali swag”, sent him an email.

“Coach Hart emailed me and it was surreal,” Almonor said. “I almost thought it was fake at first. The next day I spoke to the coaching staff, and it went from there.”

Just a few days later, Almonor arrived in Lexington for a visit. Coming from Fairleigh Dickinson, where the team had gotten stuck in an elevator, and had watched film in a cinderblock shower room, with a projector that rested on a Gatorade bucket, he was in awe.

“It was almost night and day,” Almonor said. “Those schools have pretty good facilities for that level, but Kentucky’s facilities are second to none. They treat their players like pros. Everything over there was top-notch. Literally, every single thing.”

Advertisement

The highlight of the visit though, Rupp Arena. “Everything about it. The arena, the seats, the size of it, the locker room. Everything.”

This is also where Mark Pope made one of his pitches to Almonor.

“I didn’t realize how big it was in there,” he said. “He (Pope) took us to the very top seats and had us look down below and asked, ‘Could you see yourself playing here, with this place being full from the very top, all the way down to the bottom?’”

That is when Almonor said he started to imagine an arena full of 20,500+ members of the Big Blue Nation, cheering for him. “It’s just a crazy, surreal experience when you’re in that building to imagine that. It’s just crazy. It gives you chills.”

Advertisement

From there, Almonor was shown the locker room where he got to put on a Kentucky jersey for the first time. “Putting on the jersey, that was really the craziest experience. Not only for me, but for my family and friends. Them seeing me in a Kentucky jersey, that’s crazy for them to think about.”

Now it’s no longer crazy, it’s no longer a dream. Instead of having the Kentucky logo hanging on his bed, Ansley Almonor will be wearing it across his chest and he isn’t taking that lightly.

“Coach Pope is taking a chance on me,” Almonor said. “I come from a small school, but people don’t know where I come from. What I have been through. I know what it takes to play at Kentucky, to play on this level. I belong here, this isn’t a fluke. I got to go out there and prove everybody wrong. Not even just personally, people are saying we aren’t going to be that good of a Kentucky team. Our goal is to hang banner #9. We got to go out there and prove it to them.”

Other Questions

Coach Pope has great energy and is very relatable. That’s something I have heard from other coaches and old friends of his. You as a player, how does he show that energy and relatability?

His energy is just very outgoing. I feel like he never goes to sleep. He answers my texts like 4 AM, 6 AM. His energy, you feed off him just being around him.

Advertisement

He likes to tell stories. He’s funny. He’s honest. He’s just like a really good guy to be around. He always has a story to tell because he has been through so much. He’s been a lot of places, coaching-wise, and as a player he’s been where you want to go so he’s got a lot of advice and knowledge.

You played the five spot a lot at FDU. Do you expect to play a similar role at Kentucky? What kind of style has the staff talked about playing?

Definitely the four spot. He (Pope) wants me to come in here and make open shots, move the ball, and be able to play with the ball in my hands. I feel like I fit in perfectly with my skill set.

When the staff was recruiting me, they were telling me how good of a fit they thought I was. Him showing me film and where he sees me and stuff, I feel like it’s the perfect it. I don’t think there is another team in the country that I fit this perfectly with.

He goes through a lot of analytics. He went into detail about my numbers and what I need to work on and things I am really good at.

Advertisement

You went through two coaching changes at FDU. Now you’re joining Mark Pope in his first year at Kentucky. What did you learn in those previous changes that you can bring into this situation?

Come in there and prove myself in front of everybody you know. I’m going to go in there and prove that I belong on the court and I that I am going to be a key player.

Related Topics:
Advertisement

Men's Basketball

Former Kentucky Player, Top Recruit Could Be Involved in Point Shaving Scheme

Published

8 hours ago

on

November 23, 2024

By

Kentucky transfer Aaron Bradshaw is alleged to be involved in a college gambling scandal.

Once a projected top-10 pick, former Kentucky Wildcat Aaron Bradshaw is now away from the Ohio State basketball program for unclear reasons.

On Friday, the program released a statement that Bradshaw is not currently participating in team activities, but that they could not comment further due to federal privacy laws.

“Aaron Bradshaw is not currently participating in team activities,” the statement read. “The university is following its established process. Due to federal privacy laws, we cannot share further information at this time.”

Advertisement

Ohio State coach Jake Diebler held a press conference Friday night after the Buckeyes’ win over Campbell, where he said could not provide further comment and referred to the University’s public statement.

“Regarding Aaron, I understand you may have some questions,” Diebler said to open his postgame press conference. “As stated, have to refer to the statement that was released and can’t have any comment on that. Respect the job you have to do. Just know I cannot comment on that any further.”

This comes shortly after news of a federal investigation into sports wagering activities broke earlier this week. Former Temple and Virginia Tech guard Hysier Miller was dismissed from the Hokies last month due to the investigation which first started after the Owls were flagged in March by a watchdog group for suspicious gambling activity.

With more names expected to be released in the coming weeks, the investigation has begun to narrow its search to players with ties to Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware. Of course, Bradshaw is from Camden, New Jersey, just across the Deleware River from Philadelphia, and those with knowledge of the situation are suggesting he could be involved.

Advertisement

Court documents do show that Bradshaw recently failed to appear in court following a speeding violation, where he was clocked at 102 mph in a 65 mph zone. However, similar situations of student-athletes speeding have not been handled in this fashion.

The wording of the statement does not make it seem like a minor incident that will soon blow over. This is certainly something to keep an eye on, with some believing it could lead to a nationwide ban on college sports betting.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs. Jackson State: TV/Streaming Info, Keys to the Game, and Betting Odds/Predictions

Published

1 day ago

on

November 22, 2024

By

Kentucky players encouraging each other at Rupp Arena.
Chet White | UK Athletics

The Kentucky Wildcats are back in action Friday to face the Jackson State Tigers in the second game of the BBN Invitational.

To put it simply, Jackson State is bad, very bad. Sitting at 0-5 and ranked 321st in KenPom, the Tigers will likely be the worst opponent Kentucky will play all season.

Coached by Mo Williams, one of LeBron James’ old teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Tigers have only finished above .500 twice in the last decade. This season, Jackson State is predicted to finish fourth in the SWAC.

Advertisement

Mark Pope recently said he wanted to build a standard, regardless of opponent and, and that will be tested on Friday.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

More 3-Point Attempts

Admittedly nitpicking, one of the things that Mark Pope was not happy with in Kentucky’s win over Lipscomb was the amount of three-point attempts. While they shot nearly 50 percent from deep, going 12-25, Pope wants to see the number of attempts closer to 35.

The Tigers have allowed their opponents to shoot 47.8 percent from deep, the second-worst mark in the country. Pope and the staff will certainly generate a game plan to take advantage of this. Expect to see 30+ attempts.

Advertisement

Ball Movement

Despite beating Lipscomb by 29 points, the Wildcats had a season-low in assists with just ten. For context, Kentucky had averaged more than 23 assists per game entering the matchup.

“That’s not us. That’s not who we are,” Pope said after the game.

While there wasn’t a lot of selfishness, the ball just wasn’t ‘flying’ as it has been early this season. This is a priority for the staff and this mature group, and they will aim for 25+ assists.

Keep JSU off the Free-Throw Line

Jackson State ranks in the top 100 nationally in one area: Free throws made per game. So, Kentucky, defend without fouling.

Advertisement

Kentucky’s offense makes headlines, but the defense has played very well to start the season, holding all four opponents to under 73 points. Let’s see if they can get down in a stance and defend well for 40 minutes vs. a team that stresses contact and drawing fouls.

Opposing Players to Watch

C Shannon Grant 6-11, 290 lbs

  • 7.5 PPG
  • 4.8
  • Preseason All-SWAC First Team selection

G Jayme Mitchell Jr 6-5, 190 lbs

  • 15.0 PPG
  • 3.8 RPG
  • 44.4% 3P

F Romelle Mansel 6-9, 220 lbs

  • 10.8 PPG
  • 5.8 RPG
  • 31.7% FG (second most FG attempts on the team)

Kentucky Wildcats Basketball vs. Jackson State Tigers

Time: 7 PM ET on November 22nd
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: This game will not be on TV and is streaming only,
Online Stream: SEC Network+, ESPN+, and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the radio call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | JSU
Stats to Know: UK | JSU
KenPom: UK | JSU
Team Sheet: UK | JSU

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has yet to release the odds for the game, so check Thursday afternoon for an official spread. Multiple projections give Kentucky a 99% chance of winning: Bart Torvik (99%), EvanMiya (99.9%), and ESPN (99.0%). The exception is KenPom (92%).

Predictions: KenPom (93-63), Haslametrics (96-63), Bart Torvik (95-61), and EvanMiya (96-59) all are going with a 30+ point victory, Kentucky!

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

Published

5 days ago

on

November 18, 2024

By

Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
IMAGN

The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

Advertisement

“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending